Dealing with Jessie Pt. 09

Gary nodded, “It’ll be all right.” Then he looked at all three. He could tell Melanie was probably planning some kind of yard sale. Dorothy was smiling; probably glad she’d opted for community college. Katy was close to tears. Gary knew more than they did; he had to preempt a panic so he added, “Melanie you’ll be fine. Katy this is going to end well so don’t upset yourself. Dorothy, I promise, things will work out.” He could tell they didn’t believe him so he took things a little further, “I mean it. This has a happy ending.”

Melanie grumped, “If you say so.”

He replied, “I say so.” The little meeting broke up.

~~~V~~~

The evening of the twelfth rolled around. Gary put on a pair of khaki pants, a blue oxford button down, a dark blue blazer and blue tie. He knew he was going to look out of place. Jessie wore a crisp white blouse, a dark blue tailored knee length skirt, while carrying a light blue cashmere sweater. She looked like someone her age, pretty but mature. On the way to Mr. Richardson’s she alternately kept playing with the buttons on her blouse and trying to push the hem of her skirt below her knees. It was like she was headed for the scaffold. She didn’t say anything.

Gary commented, “So you’re deciding tonight.”

In a clipped tone she replied, “Yes.”

“Do me a favor,” he said, “don’t announce anything until it’s time to leave.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I want to have a good time tonight,” he replied.

“Fuck you,” she said.

“Promise,” He said, “not till the end.”

She answered, “I’ll think about it.”

They drove on in silence. When they reached the Richardson residence Jessie sat in stony silence in her seat.

Gary asked, “Aren’t you going to get out of the car?”

Belligerently she replied, “Aren’t you going to get my door?”

“Damn;” he said.

Jessie jumped from the Jeep and sped to the house leaving her husband behind, but when she got to the front door she stopped.

Gary caught up and reached for the door to the house. It was a massive double door. “Here, I’ll get this one.”

Jessie stood still, “No, don’t.”

“Why not,” asked Gary.

“Let’s go back home,” she answered.

“What, now?” he asked.

“I’m scared Gary. Take me home.”

He took her arm in one hand and pulled the door open with his other, “No honey. No running today, not anymore. This is your day.”

She tried to pull back, “No please. I’m not ready for this.”

He held her and gently eased her in the front door, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I promise, everything’s going to work out.”

Desperation gripped her, “No, please. I can’t.”

“Yes you can,” he said.

“No,” she said, “you’re going to take me in and leave me. There’re all in there. I’ll be all alone. I can’t.”

“I won’t leave you. I haven’t yet, probably never will,” was his sincere reply.

Terrified, she pleaded, “Promise.”

He put his arm around her shoulder, “I promise.” The fear he saw in her eyes was palpable. He was afraid she might break down. He had to say something, “Jessie be firm. Don’t let them see how afraid you are. I’m here. I’m right beside you. Just wait and see. No matter what, this day is going to end well.”

Cringing back in his embrace, eyes as big as saucers she whispered, “Gary...”

“Here,” he said, as he held out his hand, “take my hand. I’m right here beside you. Nothing can hurt you today.”

Wrapping her left arm around her husband’s waist she took his hand, “Well here goes nothing.”

Together, side by side, they stepped inside.

Early on the party had a foreboding duality to it. The younger lawyers strutted about with overbearing arrogance. The worst of the lot was Snyder; haughty would have been an understatement. Regardless of the night’s outcome Gary regretted not having started his Karate lessons sooner. Yes he’d been taking Karate.

Only once did Snyder obtrude in Jessie’s gloom. Followed by two younger minions he sauntered over and chided, “You don’t seem to be having very much fun Ms. McGowan. Anything wrong?” His sneer was hard to hide.

Gary was holding his wife’s hand and felt her tremble, “Here to mulct my wife’s good name and reputation,” he asked?

Snyder’s eyes widened, “New word from the math teacher?”

“Just intercepting your putrescent opprobrium at the outset. I’m reminded censure from you always leans to the inelegant, the gaucherie as it were, certain to be execrated among the better classes.”

Bewildered, but not to be outdone Snyder answered, “Oh I heard you’d moved to a high school.”

Gary leaned around putting his back to Jessie so she wouldn’t hear, “Yes, and I’m learning Karate too. Plus I have a pair of panties with someone’s dried semen in the crotch. I heard you became engaged this past June. They’d make a nice gift don’t you think?”

Snyder backed away. His parting shot, “You make me sick.”

Jessie grabbed her husband’s arm, “What did you say to him?”

Gary smiled benignly, “I told him he sucked the snotty slime out of a dead turtle’s nose, and if he didn’t disappear I was going to reach down his throat, grab his larynx, and turn him inside out.”

She looked at her husband, “God Gary. Sometimes you’re sickening. I’m just glad...”

“Glad what?” he interrupted.

“Never mind,” she said.

Dinner was done up outside under a massive tent, buffet style with the usual roast beef, shrimp, crab balls, fried chicken, beans, Cole Slaw, potatoes, and rolls. Gary looked around and thought he’d found a couple good out of the way seats off to the right, but at the last minute Gail Honeycutt appeared, “No Mr. McGowan. You and Ms. McGowan need to sit over here with me.” She pointed to several seats almost in the middle of the grouping.

“Really?” he asked.

Jessie pulled back, “No, not there.”

Gail smiled and implored, “Please you must.”

Gary nudged a reluctant Jessie toward the center seating.

People ate, and afterward started circulating again. Gary and Jessie kept out of the fray.

Around 8:00 the mood at the party subtly changed. No one left, but the loud gabbing, over-zealous conviviality, the jokes, the woolgathering faded. Conversations got softer, more low key, even somber. All but one of the partners had disappeared. Jessie was the lone outrider, and everyone saw it.

About an hour later most, but not all the partners emerged from a back room. Jessie was shaken. She clung to her husband’s arm tightly. She looked up once and said, “Into the night and fog.”

Gary understood, it was a phrase Reinhardt Heydrich was alleged to have used at the 1942 Swansea Conference, the conference where the Nazi elites arrived at their ‘final solution’ regarding the ‘so-called’ Jewish question. He looked at his wife and saw the resolution. He held her hand tightly and whispered, “Be unafraid, your moment is at hand.”

She looked up at him with incredulity, “You’re fucking crazy. This is the end of me.”

Georgia Calligari, the only other female partner moved to the front and took a small speaking device. She stood very quietly, but very erect, “May I have everyone’s attention please?” All movement and all conversation stopped.

Holding a single sheet of paper she said, “I won’t take long, but I do have a few announcements to make.”

Jessie was shaking. Gary wanted to hold her, but he knew where Ms. Calligari was headed. He whispered, “Hold on Jessie.”

Ms. Calligari began, “First, after nearly fifty years as our most brilliant legal mind Mr. Church has decided to step aside. He’ll be leaving our firm for a well-earned and well deserved retirement.”

Everyone started looking around; it was a stunning announcement. Gary glanced over at his wife; she was stunned.

Ms. Calligari continued, “Joining him will be Mr. Jeffrey Snyder. Jeffrey, our most gifted lawyer when it comes to the real work of corporate law has decided to move on. Another firm in California has made him an offer he simply couldn’t reject. I know we’ll all miss him, but let’s be pleased for him and wish him well in his new venture.”

Jessie squeezed her husband’s hand so hard he had to look down. She whispered, “This can’t be. Why...” She intended to say more, but Ms. Calligari continued to talk.

Ms. Calligari smiled, “I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but I’ll be handling all Mr. Church’s accounts. Mr. Gundersleeve will be assuming Mr. Snyder’s responsibilities.”

She paused and looked about the room until her eyes found Gary and then Jessie, “There will be a few more changes around the office too. Don’t look for Ms. McGowan in her current office, as she’ll be taking up residence in Mr. Church’s old corner facility.” She looked out at Jessie and said, “We hope you won’t mind the large room. Come in early Monday to talk to the decorators. Oh, and I’ll have some tickets for you. You and your family will be spending the next two weeks in Hawaii. All expenses paid by the firm of course. Yes, and I’m sorry, when you get back we’ve added Human Resources to your many new duties.”

Gary listened and looked about the room; there was confusion and disbelief on a few faces, but mostly there was relief, even a little joy. So a few still didn’t get it, but he’d known for some time, this was a good office made up of decent hardworking people. Jessie’s appointment would be a welcome release. Of course, there was a little overkill; Jessie securing Church’s office and the human resources thing were both modest bribes, but the money she’d soon be getting would the result of her hard work. She’d earned everything she was going to get.

Gary watched as Ms. Calligari looked out across the gathering, “Anyone with a concern, a concern about anything, will from now on want to see Ms. McGowan.” She paused briefly again and then, speaking only to Jessie, “Be ready for some hard work when you get back Jessie. First thing, you’ll need to set up a new committee to evaluate our family leave policies.”

Gary looked at his wife. She had her hands covering her mouth. Tears were in her eyes. She knew. She got it. She looked back at her husband, “You knew didn’t you.”

He smiled, “A little bit maybe.”

She looked angry, “Snyder.”

“I never laid a hand on him.”

“Mr. Church,” she said.

“Ms. Calligari managed everything, and with the video recordings he was more than ready to fall on his sword.”

Visibly upset and becoming angry she growled, “You did all this. You had to meddle in my... work. You couldn’t...,” and then she stopped, her eyes widened even further. She shakily whispered, “You’ve been there... all along. You didn’t tell me. You knew all this and let me worry and fret all night. You, you... I don’t know.” Then she stopped again and said, “It’s like when you dove in the pool isn’t it? You’ve been there... all along. I’m so... It’s so...”

“Like always,” he said.

She frowned, “You think you’re so smart.”

Gary smiled again, “Married you didn’t I?”

Imperiously she snarled, “Go get our coats. I want to go home.”

Gary chided, “We better call the girls first.”

“You call them,” she said. As they walked toward the room with the coats she added, “You’re lucky you have me. I mean you have this obsession.”

“What’s that,” he asked?

“You need to have someone to take care of.”

Gary asked, “Are you going to be a good girl when we get home?”

Soft blue eyes filled with love looked up at generous brown eyes. She squeezed against his chest, “Tonight. I’ll give you tonight, but tomorrow, we’ll see.”

Gary found his wife’s sweater and placed it on her shoulders, “Sounds good. Tonight it’s us, tomorrow I might leave.”

For an instant she looked scared, but then, “You can’t leave tomorrow. You’re my hero; besides, who’ll rake the leaves, and the Lamaze classes. We have to take them again. You have to put the new crib together, and when your mom moves in we’ll have two dogs; who’s going to clean up the poop?”

Gary laughed, “You think you’ve got all the answers!”

Jessie was off somewhere, “There’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. You have to hide the nail. It’s Melanie’s senior year.”

Gary conceded, “OK, OK, I’ll think it over.”

Jessie held his arm, “Let’s stop at Denny’s. I’m hungry. I want some eggs.”

He held the door as they walked out into a bright starry night. He wondered how long her current good mood would last.

The Denouement...

Did things work out? Not exactly. About half way home on that very night Gary got a call. It was Melanie.

“Dad, you need to get home right away.”

“Why? What’s wrong,” he asked?

“It’s Dorothy! She’s gone!”

Jessie was watching the changing expressions on Gary’s face, “What is it?”

“Dorothy,” he said, “she’s gone missing.”

Jessie exclaimed, “Oh god! Oh Jesus! I knew something like this would happen. You did this Gary!”

Ignoring his frantic wife, Gary asked Melanie, “Do you know anything? Did she take her car? Does she have her cell phone?”

“She took mom’s car, and yes she took her phone but it must be turned off.”

Jessie was sobbing and wringing her hands, “Oh no” she said. “What are we going to do?”

Gary asked Melanie, “OK, are you and Katy all right?”

“Katy’s scared,” she said, “but I’m good. I can’t figure Dorothy. She’s been so good about all that’s gone on for so long.”

Gary had been fiddling with his phone while talking to Melanie. None of the girls may have known, but there were GPS devices on all the cars. He’d already zeroed in on Jessie’s. He told Melanie, “It’s going to be OK. I’ve located mom’s car. She’s at a friend’s house. If she calls you don’t let on, but find out what’s on her mind and call me right back. Got that sweetie?”

Melanie replied, “Yes daddy.”

Gary turned off his phone, pulled his Jeep to the side of the road and logged in the address he believed was Jennifer Crofton’s.

Jessie was looking in all directions. She glowered at her husband, “If anything happens to Dorothy I’ll never forgive you.”

Pulling his car from the curb, from the side of his mouth he whispered, “I think I’ve got this. When we find her I want you to stay quiet. Can you do that, or do I have to put you out right here?”

“You wouldn’t dare,” an enraged Jessie responded.”

He pulled to the side, “Get out.”

Jessie quavered, “No please. I’ll be good.”

“Promise?”

Pouting, she answered, “I promise.”

Gary pulled back on the street and proceeded to the Crofton residence. What a turnabout he thought. For once she was begging to stay in the car instead of demanding to get out. Was it worth it? She was sick, but like her, he’d been taking medication too. His stomach ailment had turned out to be an ulcer, and their family doctor had prescribed antibiotics twice already. He had his own stash of Xanax, and he’d been taking a blood pressure medication since April. He wondered how long he could go on.

They were about forty minutes away, but he got them there in record time. He saw Jessie’s car as they pulled in the Crofton’s drive. Stopping and putting his car in park he turned to Jessie, “Wait here. Don’t get out and don’t follow me.”

She nodded.

Gary got out, went to the Crofton’s front door, and knocked. Mr. Crofton was there almost immediately. Recognizing Gary he said, “Dorothy’s downstairs.”

Gary smiled, “Thank you sir.” He stepped through their dining room to the cellar door and went down. There she was with Jennifer.

Dorothy saw her dad. She looked excited, happy even, “I knew you’d come.”

He walked over, sat down beside her, and took her hand, “Mom’s in the car. She wasn’t fired. “

Dorothy stiffened slightly. With trembling voice she murmured, “I can’t go home if it keeps being such a nut house daddy.”

He took both her hands in his, “You’ve been such a trooper, a real grown up. I don’t think many people could’ve done what you’ve been asked to do. Honey, sweetheart we both know your mom is sick, but she wasn’t fired. In fact all the bad people at her work were fired. Mom got a promotion, plus we all got a two week vacation to Hawaii.”

“Dad I don’t know. I feel so upset. So much of everything is just wrong. I wish we could go back to before.”

He kissed her cheek, “Baby, there are no guarantees in life. People get sick. There are accidents. Life is filled with uncertainty. You could have kidney failure. If that happened you know you’d get one of mine. Leukemia, I’ve got the marrow. You’re never alone. No matter what, you’re never alone. I’m here. As long as there’s breath in my body I’ll be here for you. You’re my little girl.”

“Daddy I can’t go to Hawaii. I’d miss two weeks of classes.”

“So what,” he said, “take the time off. Start again in January. Heck, when we get back from Hawaii we’ll all go camping; you, me Melanie, Katy, Goober, Daisy, your mom. Gee, we’ll take the cat!”

Dorothy shrugged and wiped some tears from her eyes, “Dad, you’re as crazy as mom.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, “crazy in love, a regular harem. Are you ready to go home now, or would rather spend the night with Jennifer?”

“Can I stay the night daddy?” she asked.

Gary answered, “Sure.”

Dorothy wrapped her arms around her dad, “Thanks daddy. You’re the best.”

A few minutes later, back in the car Jessie asked, “Where’s Dorothy?”

“She’s staying the night at Jennifer’s.”

Jessie bristled, “I think she should come home.”

“No,” he answered, “she’s fine. This is more about trust than anything.”

Jessie started to get out of the jeep, “I’m going to get her.”

Gary pulled her back, “No you’re not. Did you hear me? It’s about trust. Trust! Get it?”

Jessie slumped back in her seat, “OK, I get it. You trust her, you trust everyone but me.”

He sighed, “No Jessie, I trust you too.”

She sat quietly for a few seconds, and then asked, “Do you? Do you really?”

He frowned; then broke into a smile, “I’m here aren’t I?”

Jessie brooded a few more minutes, and then said, “I have something to say.”

“Sure what?” he replied.

“Not here,” she said.

“Ok where?” he responded.

She sniffed. He thought she was going to start to cry. “I mean it,” she said, “I really have something important to say.”

“I’m all ears,” he answered.

She looked down to her lap and her hands folded there, “You won’t like it.”

“Try me,” he repeated.

“Maybe we could sit in the back seat,” she whispered.

“Ok,” he said, and he opened his car door and got out.

She got out too, and they both climbed in the back seat.

He took her hands in his, “Say whatever it is, and don’t be afraid Jessie. I’ll be here no matter what.”

She was white as a sheet. Scared beyond imagining she started, “I was unfaithful.”

He sat mute.

“I mean,” she said, “more than just that night last December. I did things...”

Gary made no move.

“Gary please,” she said, “there was Mr. Church, and Snyder again too.”

Gary just listened.

“You’re going to hate me,” she said, “You’ll leave me after this. I know it.”

At last he said something, “I won’t leave.” He knew what was coming. He’d seen some of the video Ms. Calligari had engineered. In fact he’d been part of the planning. He also knew a little about how Snyder had deliberately interfered with some of Jessie’s cases.

“They made me do things. I had to do things I’d only done with you.” She kept looking at her hands. She kept wringing her fingers together, “I mean it. I put their things in my mouth. I swallowed their stuff. I used my hands to jerk them off.” I wish I’d been strong enough to just stop.” She held up her hands, “At least one thing. All those dates I went on. Like that one time I humiliated you at the restaurant. They never got me, not one of them. I only did that to hurt you. I mean it Gary; it was only Snyder and Church, no one else. I mean it.”

Gary listened. He believed her.

At last she looked at him, “Gary I’m so ashamed. I don’t even want the partnership now. I wish I was dead. I wish I’d never been born. I’m no good. I don’t know why I’ve done the things I’ve done. We were happy and I ruined everything. I’m nothing, a worthless piece of garbage. I’m not worth forgiving. I’m so sorry. Gary I’m so incredibly sorry. I don’t deserve you. I’m...”